Around the circle we go, with the shift from light to dark becoming more apparent. The spiral has led us to the footsteps of the fire festival of Samhain, which has many other names such as All Hallows Eve, All Souls Night, Halloween, etc. Samhain reminds us that… Continue reading At the Cross Roads
Category: Uncategorized
The Perfumery in Santa Fe, New Mexico
The Perfumery in Santa Fe, New Mexico is one part apothecary, (referencing my great grandfathers homeopathic farmacy) one part alchemical lab (where I distill and transform plant matter into golden elixirs), one part naturalist/artist studio, one part wizardress/priestess, and one part stylist. All these parts are all the aspects of a modern day… Continue reading The Perfumery in Santa Fe, New Mexico
A Perfumed Bestiary, I for Iridogorgia, Part I
The letter I in the Perfumed Bestiary has us embark on a journey to the inky depths of the Pacific and Atlantic ocean for what appears to be fireworks frozen in time. Our creature is Iridogorgia, a “soft” coral referred to as an Octocorallia, or octocoral, which according to UC Berkeley is not a… Continue reading A Perfumed Bestiary, I for Iridogorgia, Part I
New Mexico Adventure: Las Conchas Trail
On Monday, August 17th, we decided to head toward the Jemez Mountains and River to get some forest bathing in from a different area than our usual fifteen minute drive up to our local woods. Since we had not been to the area, and most of the lodging sites that met our criteria were booked,… Continue reading New Mexico Adventure: Las Conchas Trail
The Principal of Correspondence
Yesterday, I left the perfumery a bit earlier than usual, arriving at the casita with enough time to fully experience and take some time breathing in the spectacular biome of Santa Fe at sunset. At first I was just standing in awe, looking out at the landscape and sky, then as the mind began to… Continue reading The Principal of Correspondence
The Lions Gate
Once again the Earth aligns with the planet Sirius opening The Lion’s Gate Portal so that we may receive a flood of cosmic activations. Although I had heard of this the last two years, it was in a teleconference call with a local shaman here in Santa Fe, named Robin Coale that I was reminded… Continue reading The Lions Gate
The alchemical trinity of Chaparral
The perfume Chaparral is not a reference to the creosote bush, Larrea tridentata, which sometimes goes by many name chaparral, as well as greasewood and la gobernadora. I named the fragrance after the California biome distinguished by wet winters, hot summers and drought-tolerant shrub land. This biome is also found in the Mediterranean, South America, Australia… Continue reading The alchemical trinity of Chaparral
NATURE not natural
The word natural is getting even more abused than when I first started making fragrance. Most perfume brands claiming to be “natural” go to extreme measures to hide that they use any type of synthetics by greenwashing their wording and confusing the public. A few terms I have been seeing a lot lately are: “100%… Continue reading NATURE not natural
The Swallowtails Message
On Saturday, while upstairs in the lab working on new editions of Terrestre, Chaparral and Muse, I was nudged to go make sure that I had locked my car. Reluctant to step away from my concentrated work, I waited for a good pausing point from the very tedious and meticulous work of pouring essences in… Continue reading The Swallowtails Message
Know Thyself
Have you ever had that unsettling feeling that you have been sailing through life without a compass? Do you feel there is more to your existence than you are experiencing now? Are you living your life’s purpose? These are timeless questions and a clue to their answers can be found at the Temple of Delphi… Continue reading Know Thyself